


It's All For You

by pullo



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-04-30 00:57:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5144417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pullo/pseuds/pullo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon discovering new feelings for Riku, Sora follows him to college in the hopes that he can turn their friendship into something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the prologue to the main story that spans over a year and thus is horribly disjointed. Apologies!

‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’, though a cliché phrase, resonated with Sora on an indescribable level over the course of one year. The absence of one particular person took everything Sora thought he knew about himself and turned it on its head completely. Since he was a very small child, Sora had always fallen into the ‘glass half full’ category. All he needed to be happy was a roof over his head and the comfort of knowing his friends would always be there for him. As a slightly dense but sweet natured person, he was fully content with his life on the island – the only place he had ever known and had always loved without the smallest hint of curiosity for what might be out there in the rest of the world. Thus, Riku’s depature from the Destiny Islands at the end of the summer set off a chain of emotions in Sora that hit him like a ton of bricks.

* * *

 

School had ended for the summer a couple of days before Sora and Riku headed to the beach like they did almost every day. Sora’s plaid uniform slacks lay crumpled in a corner of his bedroom somewhere and he probably wouldn’t touch them again until he had to go back to the school to complete his final year. It had always been at the back of his mind until now, but Sora realised that he hadn’t asked Riku what he was going to do now that he’d graduated. Since his mind revolved around the bubble he lived in, he’d subconsciously assumed that Riku would attend college right there on the island – he’d just never felt the need to bring discussions of the future up even while Riku was studying his ass off for his final exams. The future implied change and the bigger picture, which Sora just didn’t want to think about. Ever.

Now his constant avoidance of the subject was going to bite him in the ass. He looked up to glance at Riku, watching him pick up a fistful of sand only to let it slide back through his fingers while the two of them listened to the gentle push and pull of the waves.

“Riku, what are you going to do?”

“What?”

“After summer, I mean.”

“Oh.”

The pause that came afterwards was a pretty big indicator to Sora that Riku wasn’t going to laugh it off and assure him everything would be fine. It seemed like his silvery friend had been avoiding the topic of life after summer also. It made Sora regret not asking sooner, because now he felt seriously unprepared for the blows he was about to take. Whatever happened, there was only two months of freedom ahead of them before life inevitably got in the way of things. Riku cleared his throat and averted his eyes, letting strands of unruly hair fall in front of them.

“Well…a couple of weeks back I got an acceptance letter from Traverse Town University. Now I guess it just depends on my grades.” “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“…And you’re going to go?”

“Duh. That’s the plan. Always has been.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You didn’t ask.”

The weight that descended upon Sora’s chest during the next few seconds was immense. He didn’t know whether to be angry, sad or hysterical, but the life changing words that kept falling from Riku’s mouth so easily stung Sora in a way he’d never felt before. It seemed like Riku didn’t even care about what he was leaving behind. About what this meant for their friendship. The panic and the anger bubbled up inside him to the point where he couldn’t even see that he was being the selfish one and he rose to his feet – storming off in quite an uncharacteristically angry way.

Riku was left to sit in the sand, feeling the sadness he’d been dreading all these years crash down on him like an avalanche.

* * *

 

Sora didn’t speak to Riku for a few days after the news broke. The island was a very small place so it wasn’t difficult to bump into him at all, which was why he currently found himself sprawled out on Kairi’s bedroom floor, huffing to himself over nothing in particular while she ignored him and flipped through a magazine. She knew what was up and she also understood why Sora was being so childish, but she never put up with sulking of any kind.

“You know, if it’s bothering you this much you should just talk to him, Sora.”

Kairi sighed and put her magazine down, sitting up slightly to look at her friend. “Do really plan on avoiding him for the rest of the summer?”

“What would I even say to him? It’s like he doesn’t care anymore. If I tell him how upset this is making me I’m just going to look like a jackass. If you haven’t noticed, it’s not like he’s making an effort to hang out with me either.”

Sora grumbled, almost sounding as pathetic as he looked. Kairi just thought both of her friends were complete idiots, but she didn’t have the heart to tell them that. “Don’t be ridiculous Sora. He’s probably just as upset as you are. You guys have been best friends since forever, but you can’t tell me that you don’t know how tedious this island is for him. He’s like a great white trapped in a fish tank. He needs to see what’s out there. Maybe it won’t be forever, but he at least has to try. If you won’t let him do that, then I’d say you’re selfish rather than a jackass.” Sora took a moment to let all of that digest but it left him feeling confused and more upset than before. He hadn’t noticed how Riku grew more and more tired of life on the island each day. He didn’t pay attention to the way he devoured anything new or different and constantly searched for more. Sora just wanted to know why the island wasn’t enough for him. “Okay, fine. I’ll apologize.”

"Good.”

* * *

 

It really didn’t sink in that Riku was leaving until Kairi threw a party for him during his last week on the island. The rest of the summer had gone smoothly for the most part, but now that Riku’s departure was looming over Sora’s head, he felt at odds with himself. Life just wasn’t going to be the same and he was having difficulties accepting that. Riku’s living room was packed full with almost everyone they knew, cheering, laughing and dancing as they celebrated the slivery boy’s achievements. He was so busy accepting congratulations from his guests that he hadn’t even had time to speak to Sora that evening. As a result, the boy was sitting slumped in an armchair, with Kairi perched on the upholstery to his left. Well, until Selphie dragged her away to dance. The house was too stuffy and despite his efforts, Sora just couldn’t be happy. He was having a hard time understanding why nobody else was feeling the way he did. Nobody seemed to have an undercurrent of pain twisting through their stomach and up to their chests. It didn’t look like the backs of their eyes were stinging with the effort to keep in frustrated tears. They were…pleased. Riku wasn’t going to be here anymore and it filled Sora’s heart with sadness and unbeknownst to him at that moment, the feeling that he couldn’t quite pinpoint was _regret_.

With a huff, he dragged himself up from the chair he was sitting in and shuffled out to the porch. The air was only slightly cooler, but the view of the waves in the distance calmed him and the soft light coming from the lanterns provided a brief distraction. He was trying to get his emotions under control, to figure out why it all hurt him so much. Sure, his very best friend was leaving – anyone would be upset about that, but surely not on this level. The weight of it was crushing him. He leaned against the wooden railing that separated Riku’s home from the rocky hillside and foliage below, picking at some flaking light blue paint that it had been decorated with. He was truly lost in his thoughts, so when a soft but deep voice echoed out behind him, he almost jumped five feet in the air.

“Not enjoying yourself?”

“Argh! Jeez, Riku. Don’t do that!”

The boy in question walked gracefully over to the railing and leaned against it too, bending so he could support himself on folded arms as he looked out to the sea. At first glance, he seemed calm but the small crease in the bridge of his nose tipped Sora off that he was frowning under his silver bangs. His eyebrows were pulled together.

“It’s not the end of the world, you know. You’ll still be my best friend.”

Sora opened his mouth to speak but all he could do was gape, unable to stop his bottom lip quivering. He didn’t even want to do that, it just…happened without him being able to control it. “Sora…stop crying. You big baby.”

“I’m not crying!” He scrubbed at his eyes and squeezed them shut for a moment, grunting because he was frustrated about doing something embarrassing. It didn’t help that Riku started _laughing_ at him. It was a low rumbling sound, but it was there.

“Yeah, I’m gonna miss you too.” Riku sighed then, leaning in close. Sora’s heart started thumping painfully hard against chest for reasons he could barely piece together and he swallowed thickly, letting out a shaky breath, though it was just the aftermath of his tears. Riku stopped moving in and lifted a hand, dropping it on the top of Sora’s head before he ruffled it through his uniform spikes. “Dork.” When Riku pulled away and walked back into the house, Sora didn’t know whether or not he was sad or relieved that he’d briefly misunderstood what the action was going to be.

* * *

 

The first few weeks without Riku’s presence on the island were hell for Sora. He couldn’t focus in his new classes and he barely had the motivation to leave his room on the weekends. Kairi and Tidus had to constantly invite him out, otherwise he’d just sleep the days away.

Sometimes Riku would call him on the phone, other times he’d receive a post card in his mailbox. Both of which made him extremely happy, but it only lasted for two days or so before it wore off and he was faced with the reality that Riku was gone again.

After a few months, contact with Riku became less and less. Sora understood that he was busy. He knew he had tons of assignments and activities to complete. Because Riku was a perfectionist, Sora didn’t doubt it when he was told that Riku had forgotten to call because he’d spent all night in the library.

It still hurt him regardless.

* * *

 

The grand recognition of recent emotions finally set in for Sora a couple of days after Valentine’s day. He was absently chewing on candies that Kairi had given him out of kindness – not mistaking them for a confession at all, because that wasn’t the point of them. He unwrapped a small heart shaped chocolate and put it into his mouth, glancing at the phone as he swallowed it and willing it to ring. It didn’t. It was unsurprising, because the last call Sora received from Riku came in around three weeks ago. Riku’s dorm room number was scribbled on a piece of paper next to the phone but Sora had hardly used it, never knowing what he’d say to him anyway. When he actually had the guts to call, Riku always sounded tired or asked if Sora needed something. Now he felt like he had to have a really good excuse just to talk to him. Sora licked his lips to wet them and sat up, feeling a pang of sadness when he thought about his friend yet again. They were _best friends._ He didn’t _need a reason_ to pick up the phone. With new resolve, he reached for the handset and dialled the number carefully. His stomach started to knot itself up in the brief seconds that he was left to listen to the dial tone but he did his best to ignore it.

“Yo.”

A deep but unfamiliar voice answered the phone and Sora quickly felt his nerve begin to decrease. Calling was a bad idea. Now he had way too many questions swirling around in his already confused mind.

“…Riku?”

“Axel.”

“What?”

“Axel. You wanna speak to Riku, right? Are you a secret admirer?”

After the words sunk in, Sora promptly slammed the phone back into its cradle and let out a long, anxious breath. Riku had admirers? Since _when_? Sora was furious. Furious because he had been left out. Furious because he didn’t know who ‘Axel’ was. Furious because he missed his best friend so much it was making him miserable. Furious because…because…

He _was_ a secret admirer.

* * *

 

“Who was that?”

Riku glanced over his shoulder at his roommate Axel, rolling his eyes when he was met with a shrug.

“I don’t know. He hung up.” For a few seconds, Riku wondered if it might have been Sora. His stomach did an excited summersault at the thought, but it quickly dwindled and he shook his head at no one in particular.

Sora never called him.

* * *

 

It quickly dawned on Sora that no matter what his feelings towards Riku were, all he wanted was to see him again. He’d tried being angry but it didn’t really work because the anger quickly fizzled out into an inevitable longing. He didn’t know what the he was going to do because no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t let it go and move on. It made him feel pathetic. Mostly because he thought Riku probably didn’t care about him anymore, yet here he was pining after him like a lovesick puppy.

One crisp spring afternoon, however, a solution materialised in front of him in the form of a college application booklet slapping down on his desk.

**‘CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE.’**

* * *

 

Setting a life plan in motion was difficult for an easygoing guy like Sora. For somebody who was happy with average grades and preferred napping to studying, the grade requirements for Traverse Town University’s English program were the most daunting things Sora had ever been faced with. (Even if the grades he needed were low by most people’s standards.) if he didn’t have such fierce determination he would’ve thrown his application into the trash and got a job at Cid’s surf shop like he’d always joked about. But he didn’t. For Sora, getting into this college meant a lot more than getting a degree. Perhaps it was ridiculous to base his entire future on a crush, but Sora wasn’t the type of person who thought ahead or looked at the big picture. His goals were short term and if getting into this stupid college meant he could see Riku and be best friends like they once were, he was going to give it a shot. His best shot.

The library was new territory for Sora and Tidus laughed his ass off when he saw him sitting in there through the small rectangular windows on the double doors at the entrance, but Sora ignored him and trained his eyes on his math text book. _‘If Riku can do it, so can I.’_ He thought.

Buckling down for the sake of his grades was one of the most difficult things Sora had ever done. He declined countless invitations to the beach in favour of sitting at his desk at home. He missed several hilarious classroom pranks, new movies, fun parties and basically everything else he enjoyed. A lot of the time he wondered what the point of it even was but flashes of optimism and a reminder of Riku’s smile was enough to make him read just one more page. Sora worked his ass off for the next few months and all he could do was hope that it was enough by the time final exams rolled around. He remembered how hard Riku had worked during his own finals and that provided some small inspirations too.

When he sat in the gym, staring down at the questions that lay on his small desk, he felt a surge of confidence that allowed to him to answer them. In the past he would’ve chewed on his pencil for an hour before half-assing it, but the things his brain were shoving to the front of his thoughts were remarkable. He was actually onto something.

* * *

 

It was a couple of months later when Sora checked his mail box. Aside from his emotions, things were relatively back to normal. He’d been hanging out with Kairi, Tidus, Selphie and Wakka again like usual, with nothing left to do but forget about school for a while. But now, faced with a pristine envelope, he was teetering on the edge between joyousness and despair. Taking it in his hands he carefully ripped the envelope open and pulled out a sheet of equally pristine white paper. It was adorned with a college crest and fancy typeface.

**‘TRAVERSE TOWN UNIVERSITY.’**

Sora’s eyes scanned the first sentence of the letter, his mouth dry.

_**‘Sora Bastion, we are pleased to inform you…’** _

_“Yes!”_

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2, hope you enjoy it! I apologize in advance if there's any mistakes, it's just me working on this!

For once in his life, Riku wasn't restless. Of course there was an ache in his chest that was labelled ‘sora’, but for the first time in years he didn’t feel trapped. Traverse town had traffic and skyscrapers. It restaurants, department stores, two libraries and giant market full of things that Riku couldn’t dream of getting back on Destiny island. It took a fair amount of adjusting for an island boy to fit in, but he’d managed just fine.

His college dorm room was bigger than the room he had back home even though he was sharing it with a giant quirky dude named Axel – a friend he’d made during the first few days of his new life. He didn’t miss the island much at all. What he missed was Sora. Fortunately he didn’t get to think about him much because he was busy. In the long run, that was good for him because he couldn’t dwell on his regrets. At least now that they were apart he didn’t have to worry about acting weird or creeping Sora out. More anything he wanted to keep that friendship they shared intact. Even if it meant quitting while he was ahead. Being able to speak to him meant more than destroying what they had for the sake of his own feelings.

So, for Riku, leaving for college was one of the best things he ever did. He enjoyed it so much that he didn’t even bother going back to the island over summer. Not out of spite, but because he felt it was better for him to stay away. It was lonely for a few weeks but he wasn’t the only one who decided to stay behind so he got by.

That didn’t matter so much anyway, because he was currently helping Axel lift cardboard boxes back into the room they shared in preparation for the new school year along with their friend Demyx, who was actually more of a hindrance than a help.

“Axel, why do you have so much _shit_?”

“It’s not shit, it’s—would you _stop_?”

Axel smacked a Rubik’s Cube out of Demyx’s hand and closed the box that the boy had opened, snatching it from him so he could continue to lift it inside.

“Ow, Jesus. I’m just saying that Riku’s side of the room is pretty clean. He doesn’t have clutter.”

“Yeah, well Riku’s probably a robot, so you can’t compare him to me.”

Riku frowned in mild annoyance but he didn’t feel the need to say anything so he went back to stacking more boxes, eventually sitting back on his bed while his friends squabbled over some ridiculous new topic. He was used to lively people because practically everyone he knew on the island had a loud personality, but that didn’t mean he could keep up.

“—don’t you have to go visit the old folk’s home today anyway?”

“Xigbar’s not that old. You’re just mad because you’re not getting any.”

“Ew, don’t say his name so casually.”

The yelling continued even when Leon came to lean in the open door frame and Riku could only guess that the sour expression he was sporting was a result of all the noise. He was a grumpy guy at the best of times and so was his roommate, but today he looked livid. Probably because he was stuck here with the idiots for another year. His real name was Squall but Riku had quickly learned that anyone who called him that would receive a swift kick in the nuts, so Leon it was.

_“Hey.”_

“Leon!” Demyx chirped, letting go of the fabric of Axel’s shirt that was currently bunched up in his fist. Axel, however, had stopped completely and was craning his neck to look at the tuft of blonde hair that was currently hiding behind his grouchy friend.

“I don’t know who the fuck told all these whiny first years that I’m in charge, but it has to stop. I brought you a neighbour. Play nice.” Leon moved out of the way and poked a small blonde in the back, prompting him to stumble forward. When he was over the threshold, Leon slammed the door and left him there, wide blue eyes looking terrified. Staring into them made Riku’s stomach twist and knot until he almost felt ill. There was no denying that he resembled someone he knew.

Nobody noticed his silent turmoil however, because both Axel and Demyx were staring at the unnamed boy without blinking. They reminded him of vultures. Or maybe hyenas. Regardless, this kid was fresh meat. The silence lasted for approximately two more seconds before they started shoving each other out of the way to get to him. Axel tripped Demyx up and got there first, looming over the boy until he actually backed up a step because he was going to fall over.

“What’s your name?” He asked, trying a smile but honestly it just came off as creepy. Demyx coughed on the floor and huffed to himself, dusting his clothes down once he stood up before he shuffled over.

“It’s um…it’s Roxas.”

“Cool, I’m Axel.”

Roxas scrunched his face up slightly and backed up again, only getting a few seconds to take in the surroundings. Riku managed a small smile when Roxas looked over to him but honestly his familiar face was off putting. “Axel’s a weird name.” Roxas mumbled, earning himself a loud bark of laughter from Demyx.

“Yeah, because I know like, a hundred guys named Roxas who live in Traverse Town.” The taller redheaded boy scoffed, crossing his arms. Riku sighed, inwardly thinking that the three of them were idiots, but it was obvious that Axel had silently called dibs on Roxas. Maybe the inevitable chase that was going to unfold throughout the year would be interesting.

It looked like Roxas was about to make a snarky comment back, but he didn’t quite get there because Demyx shoved Axel out of the way by his face and stood in front of Roxas, beaming.

“I’m Demyx, if you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Oh.”

Now it was Axel’s turn to laugh but Roxas didn’t really find it all that funny. Riku made no move to introduce himself because he was obviously pretty shy, so Demyx opted to do it for him. “That’s Riku.” He grinned, pointing as if Roxas wouldn’t be able to spot all six foot two of him in the standard space. A small wave came from Riku and Roxas was done, turning on his heel. “Nice to meet you guys…I’m in the room next door. I think my roommate is gonna get here soon, so I better go.” He shrugged making to leave but Axel didn’t miss a single step and was striding straight after him. The way Roxas looked over his shoulder at his follower was comical to Riku but he didn’t say anything, watching them both leave silently.

Demyx went back to rummaging through Axel’s stuff and he made idle chit chat with Riku in the process, asking about his summer and then gushing about his own before he sat cross legged in the middle of the floor wearing a pair of tacky plastic sunglasses. Axel was a hoarder. It was around the time that he started to talk about Professor Xigbar from the literature department that Riku tuned him out and when he tuned back in, Demyx was talking about milkshakes so it worked out fine.

“Axel’s going to kill you when he sees the mess you made.” The silvery boy observed, glancing at the various piles of Axel’s belongings that had been strewn across the floor in the midst of Demyx’s snooping. “Good point.” Demyx hummed, subsequently getting up and leaving it there for somebody else to tidy away. “Whelp, I better go see Xiggy.”

“God, Demyx. No one wants to know.” Riku huffed, feeling his stomach turn yet again.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“That doesn’t mean I want to hear about it.”

“Well, you’re another one who isn’t getting any. When’re you going to settle down, Riku?”

Demyx sounded so much like his mother that Riku wanted to slap him like Axel did daily, but he resisted the urge and sighed again. It took all he had to block out a certain face from his mind.

“That’s none of your business, now if you don’t mind…” He extended a hand out towards the door and Demyx took the hint, bounding out of the room.

“Catch you later dude.”

“Yeah.”

* * *

After checking his timetables for the fifth time there wasn’t much else for Riku to do without his friends around. It was another one of those agonizing days where all he could think about was the past and he really needed a distraction from it. Sometimes he thought about Sora’s crying face at the leaving party and the guilt he felt was so strong that he felt the urge to pack everything up and head back to the island, but it just wasn’t an option for him anymore. He wouldn’t know what to say to Sora if he had to see him again, but he just wished he hadn't left things on such an odd note. Riku had never been the type of person who was good at explaining or dealing with his emotions. He knew he fit in with his friends and all of them genuinely liked him but he didn’t click with anyone outside of being good friends. There wasn’t a relationship for him out here that matched the one he’d had with Sora for most of his life. When he was feeling particularly downtrodden about something he’d work up the guts to discuss it with Leon. Though Leon acted like he hated everybody he gave off a paternal kind of vibe. Which now that Riku thought about it, was probably why all the ‘whiny first years’ flocked to him that day. Seeing Roxas today had really stirred up some old feelings and they were making him feel dejected.

Once he’d thought it over Riku decided to visit him and pulled himself to his feet, walking down the hall and past Roxas’ door where voices were leaking out.

_“Don’t touch that!”_

_“What, this?”_

_“Yes—“_

There was a sound rather like a crash and Riku inwardly cringed. Axel was really good at making friends.

_“…that.”_

* * *

 

When he reached Leon’s dorm room Riku made sure to knock first. He snickered to himself when he could hear a grunt on the other side of the door. Leon probably thought he was being ambushed by more first years.

“What?” Leon almost barked when the door swung open but he softened and straightened when he saw it was Riku standing there. Out of everybody, Riku was his favourite because he made the least noise and he didn’t pester him all that often. If it was Demyx he would’ve just slammed it shut again. Riku paused for a minute because he could see Cloud crouching over a box in the background and he waved when the blonde looked up, glad to see that he’d arrived because he hadn’t told anybody when he was coming. When he first met them Riku thought that they were an unlikely duo, but they got along reasonably well because they were both grumpy enough to leave one another alone most of the time. They were snarky and sarcastic, but it worked for them so no one questioned it.

“Hey.” The blonde called, walking over to slap Leon’s hand off of the door frame so he’d actually let Riku through.

“Hi. When did you get in?” Riku asked, curious. Leon had stayed in the dorms over summer too so he didn’t have anything to unpack, but Cloud was busy rearranging his things on his side of the room. It was mostly neat because Leon was picky about that sort thing, with minimal posters on the bricked walls and a vacuumed carpet. They had a desk each and one window that let in a brisk breeze, much like all the other rooms in the building.

“About an hour ago.” Came Cloud’s reply. Riku walked himself to the middle of the room, unsure if he wanted to vent about his feelings if the two of them were there. He didn’t have a lot of choice though because Leon shut the door and sat on his bed, jerking his head towards the empty chair at his desk.

“So what do you want?”

“Uh…”

“Do you want to switch rooms because Axel is a pain in the ass?” Cloud interjected before Riku could say anything and he shook his head quickly because that wasn’t the problem at all. For all his annoying habits, Riku actually liked Axel.

“No…I…”

“You look homesick.”

Riku sent a surprised stare in Leon’s direction because he’d pretty much hit the nail on the head in one swoop. He was going to agree with him but he was quick to speak again.

“Well, you should’ve thought about that before you stayed here all summer. It’s the first day of the school year so you’re gonna have to suck it up.”

Precise and to the point, like always. Riku desperately wanted to articulate that it wasn’t the Island he missed but a person, but Leon looked like he was done with the discussion. What he said was true. Riku would just have to get over it. He was also going to have to get used to seeing Roxas everyday too. It wasn’t his fault that he looked incredibly similar to the boy he left behind.

“You’re right.”

Riku nodded, sighing once again. “Thanks for the pep talk.” Leon didn’t let people wallow in things and for somebody like Riku, that was the best kind of remedy. Another knock on the door surprised them all into silence and Leon made a gesture like he wanted everyone to _stay_ silent. Riku chalked the visitors up to the fact that Leon’s room was the first one at the top of the stairs. It was the easiest place to go looking for help. The soft knocks kept coming however and eventually the brunette gave up, answering the door with an exasperated sigh.

“Who’re you? What do you want?” Riku froze in his seat when a head of brown hair and big blue eyes identical to Roxas’ briefly peeked over the arm that was partially blocking his view of the room.

_“Sora?”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My chapters are so short, oops.


	3. Chapter 3

The entirety of Sora’s summer had been spent preparing to head out into the world after he received his acceptance letter. His friends and family were shocked that he was going ahead with his plan to say the least, because there was nobody who loved the island and its way of life more than Sora did. Well, there was that and the fact that Sora had never been too devoted to his studies. He’d pulled a rabbit out of a hat at the last moment.

Either way, Sora had done it and nobody quite understood how different life was going to be for him. It terrified him to think of what was out there, but the blind faith he had in Riku was keeping him going. He enrolled at the University and when it was time to deal with housing, he was sneaky enough to request the exact dorm building that Riku was staying in – going off the piece of paper he had in his bedroom, of course.

Kairi threw him a leaving party just like Riku’s, since she knew deep down this was always going to happen. Riku and Sora were inseparable. He said his goodbyes to Tidus, Selphie, Wakka and Cid, barely even realising what he was getting himself into.

Of course he knew he was leaving, but it didn’t feel real until he was getting on a boat and watching it pull away from the sandy beach for the very first time in his life. That was when the panic set in. When Kairi looked like a dot on the horizon and it dawned on him that he was actually going. It would’ve continued for the whole journey, but Sora slapped both of his cheeks and tried to man up. Riku had done this before. Sora had been the one who watched his boat leave. Understandably there were some lingering nerves, but they were accompanied by a fiery resolve.

* * *

 

Traverse Town came into view after a few hours. It was huge and daunting. When the boat finally docked Sora couldn’t stop staring at everything as he took it all in and tried to digest it. The bus ride into the main city was more of the same. His cheek was glued to the window and he let out small gasps every now and then as he saw something new and interesting. It made him think of Riku and warmth spread over him because this was the kind of place that would make Riku happy. There was so much to see and learn – though to anybody else it would just be a regular city. There was a huge town hall, a brightly lit supermarket, payphones, pizza shops, clothes stores – the list went on - and all of it was weird to Sora because on the Island they just had what they needed. When he could see the university campus in the distance through the window he leapt up and grabbed his suitcase, feeling his nerves bubble up into anticipated excitement.

“This is me!” He grinned, glancing around. A man in the seat adjacent took in the tan and the case, giving an exasperated sigh before he pressed one of the nearby buttons so the driver would stop and open the doors.

* * *

 

“Wow…”

The campus was bustling with life as Sora stepped through the gates with a couple of other students, surprising him again because there were so many people there. The first thing he saw was a welcome desk, but apart from that there were tour guides, clubs and a table for him to get his photo I.D arranged. He couldn’t help but notice that a lot of parents were saying goodbye to their kids and it made him wish his own mom had been there to drop him off, but his boat ticket had been expensive enough by itself.

Nevertheless he strode over to the welcome desk in his usual goofy fashion and grinned at the two students who were running it, sliding his sheet of information over to them. He was fizzing on the inside because he just wanted to run off and find Riku already. When he had his map and his room key in his hands he got his photo taken at the I.D table, then he was free to go and explore.

* * *

That was how Sora found himself standing in front of an angry looking guy at the end of the shortest search ever.

“Riku!” The brunette cried, shuffling under Leon’s arm and dragging his case with him into the room. All of his excitement swelled up in his chest and he bounded towards him, only faltering slightly when he saw something flicker through Riku’s eyes. It looked like dread or something similar, and it made Sora’s nerves twist momentarily. On a second glance though, the expression had left as quickly as it came and Riku pretty much gave Sora his cue to throw himself at his best friend.

“What…how did you…”

Riku began, obviously still having difficulty processing Sora’s abrupt arrival to Traverse Town. Cloud and Leon gave each other surprised glances but the tan and the fact that Sora smelled like fresh air and salt gave it away. The _shorts_ helped them piece it together too.

“Okay, I get that it’s nice to have a little reunion and all, but could you do it in your own rooms?” Leon grumbled as he looked at the pair. Sora had clamped himself around Riku’s shoulders in what had to be the most intense hug he’d ever seen, while the silver haired boy stayed still and allowed himself to be shaken around.

“Yeah, sorry.”

Riku murmured, standing up from the desk chair and forcing Sora to let go in the process. Upon noticing the scene he’d caused Sora scratched at his cheek awkwardly and smiled. “Sora, this is Leon and that’s Cloud.” Riku introduced after he cleared his throat, pointing to them respectively. Really, he was still in a slightly shocked state. He hadn’t even spoken to Sora in weeks yet here he was in the flesh. It was so odd to look at him in this setting. He was usually accompanied by seashells, sand and sunshine. Just seeing him did wonders for Riku’s ‘homesickness’ but at the same time he had to swallow down a plethora of emotions. It was almost painful and left a pang of sadness that tainted their reunion a little. Look but don’t touch.

“Hey, sorry for barging in.”

Sora waved and picked up his suitcase, following after Riku as he strode out of the room. He slapped Riku on the back while he babbled about getting a tour, while Leon and Cloud were left to watch them go.

“Wow. Smitten much?”

Cloud snorted.

“Which _one_?”

* * *

“Bet you didn’t expect to see me, huh?”

Sora asked, crossing his arms behind his head as the two of them walked back down the hall. Being the stronger one of the two, Riku opted to carry Sora’s ridiculous suitcase while he squinted down at the details on his welcome letter. He’d be rooming right next door to him with Roxas. The information made Riku shake his head. _Why_ hadn’t he sensed this sooner?

“ _No_. I didn’t.”

“Surprise.”

“Yeah, big one. How…why did you come here?”

“Are you mad?”

“No, I’m _happy_ but I just…you love the Island.”

“Yeah, well. When my best friend _abandoned_ me it lost some of its shine.” Sora huffed, smacking Riku’s back again, but it didn’t knock him off balance like he’d hoped. Riku turned his head to look at him before letting out his usual laugh. It made Sora’s chest tighten in a familiar way.

“ _Wow_. You’re still a baby then. Couldn’t handle things without me?”

“Shut up.” In the old days Sora would be mad about a comment like that, but the fact that they were able to click back into place so easily after a year apart softened the blow considerably. Riku was still…Riku. He kept his hair long, wore the same clothes. He was still _annoyingly_ tall and had a laid-back attitude. Sora wouldn’t change any of it.

“Okay. This is you.” Riku stopped outside of a brown wooden door that was identical to all of the others, knocking before he turned the handle. Sora was excited to see the inside of the room, but it was as bland and uniform as Leon’s was. He’d have to decorate. A small blonde and a lanky redhead were sitting in the left corner, flipping through CD cases, but the two of them stopped to blink when Sora stepped through the door behind Riku.

After the quick introductions the awkwardness seemed to dissipate and Riku stood by the wall with his arms folded, listening to the new discussion that was taking place between Axel, Roxas and Sora.

“You guys really _do_ look alike.”

“We do _not_. Get your eyes checked.”

“No, no, I see where he’s coming from. Maybe in the eyes?”

“ _Exactly_.”

Now that Sora knew who Axel was he felt stupid for being so angry about their brief phone call all those months ago. He seemed like a nice guy. Roxas was kind of prickly, but it was obvious his annoyance towards Axel was slightly feigned. He predicted that they would be great friends sooner or later. Sora was just hoping that he’d get along with Roxas too, considering that they’d be living together. When he glanced behind himself to check that Riku was still there, he was met with a smirk and he returned a bright smile that showed how at ease he felt already. The lack of contact he’d had with Riku recently had him worried that something was wrong between them. Axel was distracted by a flash of ash blonde that whipped past the door and he called out, startling Sora and Roxas.

“Dem! Get in here and look at this!”

Demyx backtracked and leaned into the room, taking a few moments to process the two near-identical faces that were in front of him.

“Whoa! That is _seriously_ freaky. Who’s this?”

“I’m Sora.”

“Awesome! I’m Demyx.” It was easy to see that Demyx was an energetic and light hearted person. He was goofy and friendly just like Sora was, so he decided pretty quickly that he liked him. Riku had a nice set of friends here. It made Sora happy because sometimes Riku came off as rude or a loner to most people who didn’t know him very well. It was worrying to think that he could’ve moved himself out there only to be alone.

“Great. Now that we’re all acquainted, anybody feel like going to Monstro’s? I’m starved.” Axel huffed with a groan and started to drag himself to his feet. Around the same time, Sora’s stomach let out an angry growl. The last time he ate was on the boat ride. He assumed 'Monstro's' was some kind of restaurant. Demyx nodded excitedly. “Dude, yes. There’s this new drink where you shove a Block-it-Chocolate and an Ice-Dream-Cone into a blender and then just serve it up with milk. I haven’t tried it yet.”

“Eh, I’d rather just stick to good ol’ Sea Salt.”

* * *

 

The walk to the café was a short one much to Sora’s relief, because he truly felt like his stomach was going to deflate like a balloon. It was a nice little place that was tucked away in the Second District with brightly coloured table tops and low lit booth seating. The counter at the front doubled as an ice-cream case and the walls were decorated with crazy patterned purple wallpaper. Sora liked it. Demyx strode up to the counter like he owned the place and started to order various sweets while Roxas, Axel, Sora and Riku followed behind.

“What’re you getting?” Sora asked Riku as they got in a line to wait.

“Just a sandwich, I don’t want anything sweet. What about you?” Sora pondered over his choices for a minute, taking in all the different ice cream flavours and desserts before he eventually pointed to a small, fancy looking cake that would probably give him cavities. “How much are those?”

“Royal cakes? Those are 700 munny.”

“700 munny!?” The brunette gaped, unable to believe that food could cost that much. Traverse Town prices were ridiculous. Back home things were a lot cheaper and Sora was pretty much used to living within his means. “How the heck do you afford that?”

“We have jobs.”

Axel interjected, lifting his tray of food from the counter and stepping aside so Riku could take his turn. “Stop whining, I’ll get it for you.” It was more of a statement than an offer. Sora would’ve refused but he was not about to spend that much money on sugar. “Thanks.” Was his embarrassed reply, which of course was accompanied by a frustrated pout.

“What about you, Roxas? Need me to pay for you?” The redhead asked as he glanced to his friend, genuinely wanting to help. Or maybe show off and score points at the same time.

“Uh, no. I got it.” Roxas shrugged as he reached into his pocket for his munny pouch. It looked like it was stuffed to the brim and Axel gawked at it. “Did you rob a bank?”

“No. I have an allowance, if you must know.”

“Oh.”

Once everybody had their orders they moved the group over to one of the booths next to the windows and squished the whole party into it. Obviously, Sora chose to sit next to Riku even in the cramped space. When the noise had died down and everyone was concentrating on eating, Sora decided to make conversation.

“So where do you guys work if you have jobs?”

“Here, actually. Three days a week.” The ash blonde grinned as he slurped up his milkshake. “Most of the time we have the same shifts so it’s not so bad.”

“Even Riku?”

“Yup.”

“Huh.” Sora couldn’t really picture Riku with a job but he figured he had to pay for things somehow. Sora would be sticking to college cafeteria food. That seemed a lot cheaper than the stuff in stores if this place was anything to go by.

“So Roxas…are you rich?” The topic of conversation landed on the blonde with Axel’s loaded question and the boy raised a brow. It was kind of a rude thing to ask.

“I’m not a millionaire or anything. My parents are just well off and want me to put my studies first. That’s all.”

“I guess that makes sense.” The chatter lulled for a few minutes until Demyx started filling in the silence, sending a mischievous grin across the table to Riku and Sora.

“Y'know, I didn’t think Riku was such a gentleman. Did we miss something between you two or what?”

“Cut it out Demyx.”

“Hey don’t mind me, I’m just saying that buying dessert for somebody is pretty cute. You’re like a couple.”

Riku sent Demyx an icy glare and Sora’s cheeks flushed a few shades pinker with the accusation. He wanted to laugh it off but the fact that he wished it was true stopped him from doing so. Hopefully, his desires weren’t too obvious because he felt like he had a neon sign above his head that told the world about his feelings for his best friend. Riku didn’t sound so pleased, however.

“I’ll say it again Demyx, _shut up_.”

For most of the meal, Sora and Riku’s knees had been pressed together under the table, but after Demyx’s joke Riku quickly pulled his leg away and stared out of the window. It was subtle movement, but it made Sora’s heart sink.

Was it really such a disgusting thought?

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! I really like adding some game references to the story. What do you think?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4! Hopefully there's not too many errors. I don't have the energy to comb through the chapter again. Aaaah.

The first night in the dorm building wasn’t too terrible for Sora. He got to know Roxas a little better when the two of them were left to themselves for the evening. He grew up in a place called Twilight Town that wasn’t too far away, the paranormal was something that interested him and in his spare time he used to skateboard. They managed to bond over that because Sora used to surf and he knew that the two were somewhat linked. It seemed like Roxas wasn’t so prickly when it came to hanging out one on one. Sora told Roxas about himself too - how he and Riku had grown up together and were best friends, what the Island was like, that sort of thing. They even made plans to go fishing one day because Roxas had never tried it, but they probably wouldn’t have time.

There were some initial difficulties with getting settled after lights out because it was always hard to go to sleep in an unfamiliar bed, but the travelling that day had tired Sora out so much that keeping his eyes open wasn’t an option after a while. It was just a relief to know that he’d made it after waiting for so long. When the morning finally came around he woke up to the general noise of the halls, having to remind himself of where he was for a minute or two. Roxas was still dead to the world, but Sora was sure his alarm clock would take care of that sooner or later. He shuffled around the room until he had an armful of clean clothes and a wash bag under his arm, looking forward to scrubbing the yesterday’s grime away. He’d been filled in that there was a shower block at one end of the main hall near the restrooms and a small kitchen area at the opposite end. There was an identical setup on each floor, so that was the basics taken care of at least. His first English Lit class was at ten AM so there was no rush but he wanted to be ready for it with time left over to see his friends and get some directions.

The hall was busy with students who were getting ready for the day, either heading to or from the showers or making their way down the staircases. Sora paced next door and gave the wood a timid knock, hoping to see Riku. He was only slightly put off by Riku’s behaviour the night before. There was no response so he decided to press his ear against it, though he heard nothing and stood there dumbly for another minute or so.Demyx materialized right behind him at around the same time and slapped a hand on his shoulder, startling Sora enough to pull a yelp from him. He was in the company of a very short guy with a round face and silvery lilac hair. Sora’s first impression was that he was shy or at the very least, grouchy.

“Dude, you scared me.” Sora breathed, turning to face the pair. All Demyx had to give him was an amused grin in response.

“Are you looking for Riku?”

Sora nodded and Demyx nudged past him to get at the door, giving it a few solid whacks before he stood back and noticed that Sora and Zexion hadn’t been introduced. “This is my roomie Zexion by the way.” He placed his hands on Zexion’s shoulders and shook him around in an annoying, friendly kind of way.

“Please don’t call me that.” Zexion looked exhausted and his voice carried the same tired tone. Sora guessed that being Demyx’s roommate had that kind of effect on people.

“I’m Sora. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Zexion gave a timid nod and started to shuffle off towards the showers, most likely in search of a few minutes of peace.

“Don’t feel bad. Zexion’s real quiet, works in the library and everything.” Demyx shrugged before he went back to banging on the door and yelling in a way that even the dead wouldn’t be able to ignore. “Get up!” The door finally creaked open and Axel’s large frame cast a shadow over the two of them, prompting them to back up a bit.

“Demyx, I’m gonna wring your neck if you don’t buzz off in the next _five_ seconds.”

“I didn’t want you to be late for class!”

“My class isn’t until _two_ , you asshole.”

“Oh, right. Well, see-ya later then!” Demyx gave a shrug and walked in the direction of the showers with everyone else, turning back as an afterthought. “Oh yeah, Sora! We’re in the same building for English, so I’ll come find you after breakfast.” He chirped with his usual wave then bounded off again.

“Thanks!” Sora shouted, causing Axel to groan and drag a hand over his tired face before he shuffled back into his room. The door was left open so Sora took it as an invitation to wander inside too. He hadn’t seen much of Riku’s room so far because the day before had been hectic. Not that it’d be all that interesting. The one he had at home on the Island had been kind of plain and he kept it neat without many belongings. Riku was still in bed but he was sat up and awake – which wasn’t a total surprise because of all the noise. His side of the room was neat and minimal as expected, with timetables and a calendar on the wall instead of posters. He looked surprised to see Sora, but the brunette flopped himself and his clean clothes down onto the edge of the bed regardless. It was one of those rare times where Riku looked dishevelled. His long hair needed a comb raked through it and his sleep shirt was all crumpled from where it had ridden up in his sleep. It wasn’t a bad view for Sora since he was graceful ninety eight percent of the time. Just seeing Riku at all was still a novelty for him after so long apart.

“Hey, morning.” Sora gave Riku a bright beaming smile and put his arms out behind him to lean on them – obviously settling in. He hoped he wouldn’t be too much of a bother because when they used to go to school, Riku would wait outside the house and they’d walk together every morning. Sora’s final year always felt pretty lonely because he didn’t have that anymore.

“…Morning.” Riku replied in a grunt, scrubbing at his eyes to wake himself up a little more.

“Wanna get breakfast with me?”

“Sure, just let me…find some pants.”

* * *

 

Communal showers weren’t as mortifying as Sora thought they were going to be, because the ones in his dorm were set up with lockable cubicles. The rest of the room contained multiple mirrors and sinks, with a bench area provided for changing around the corner. While they waited for some stalls to free up Sora and Riku brushed their teeth together at one of the sinks, occasionally making eye contact in the mirror through the comfortable silence. It reminded Sora of sleepovers they used to have as kids sometimes.

* * *

 

It definitely felt a lot better to be clean and dry after a tiring couple of days and as a result Sora was in a good mood like usual. The pair exited the dorm once they had dropped off their stuff and grabbed their backpacks, heading across a small walkway to the building that housed the cafeteria. It wasn’t too busy and when Sora checked the menus he was relieved to see that he could get an omelette for only 200 munny. A least he was safe in the knowledge that he wouldn’t have to starve all year. Riku got oatmeal and once the two of them sat down at a tiny square table in the corner, it dawned on Sora that they were almost alone for only the second time since they reunited. He stared at the damp strands of Riku’s hair that hung over his shoulders long after his own locks had dried and wondered what to say.

“How’s Kairi?” Riku got there first and Sora finally began to eat as he was pulled from his thoughts. It made him sad that Kairi wasn’t there with them, because they had all been friends for so long.

“She’s good. She misses you. Oh! I said I’d call her soon so you can talk to her with me if you want.”

“Yeah, I can say hi.”

“Awesome, it’ll be like old times. Well, kind of.” Riku was quiet for a moment as they continued to eat and it looked to Sora like he was deep in thought about something. “What’s up?”

“Nothing…I guess I just thought you two would always be together. It was like you were attached at the hip when we were younger.” Riku shrugged, his face neutral again once he returned to his breakfast. “Well, we were close. Still are. But I’m the same way with you. Things just didn’t feel right without you around.”

“Hm. You were closer to her than I ever was.”

“…Were you jealous of me?”

“Eh…something like that.”

* * *

 

After he’d eaten Sora went back to his room to wait for Demyx, pleased that he had plans to meet with Riku again after both their classes were finished at lunch. Roxas had finally rolled himself out of bed by that point because the room was empty, but unbeknownst to Sora he didn’t make it very far because he was hanging out with Axel next door. Demyx finally showed when there was fifteen minutes until class and he lead Sora over to the humanities building just across the campus. He squinted at Sora’s timetable and burbled about a bunch of different things, taking him all the way to the classroom on the second floor.

“You’re lucky that you got Xig, he’s real fun. I had this class last year.” Demyx made a big waving motion in front of the small window on the door and Sora glanced through it to get a look at his professor. He had a few scars on his face and long black hair that was pulled into a ponytail. He almost looked like a fairytale villain and Sora had to pull his gaze away when the teacher looked up.

“Are you wondering about the scars? Don’t worry he wasn’t a pirate before he became a professor. They’re not from anything bad. He got in a car accident when he was younger.”

“How do you know that?”

“He tells me a lot of stuff.”

“What? How come?”

“Well, I’m sleeping with him for starters.”

Sora’s stomach did a summersault out of shock and he couldn’t make eye contact with his new teacher for the entire lecture. However, he figured it wasn’t his business and no matter how weird it seemed, it didn’t change the fact that Demyx was nineteen. He’d taken a seat in the middle of the room that wasn’t too far back or too far forward. Even if most of his friends would be in the same building for their classes, that didn’t mean they were in the same room so he tried to look welcoming as students filed in, though a lot of them didn’t bother to look at him.

When he was about to give up, a very pretty girl took the seat adjacent to him and smiled at him, making Sora beam in return. She had soft blonde hair that was draped over one shoulder and kind blue eyes. They reminded him of Kairi’s. Perhaps they were similar in the same way that he and Roxas were. Sora waited for her to settle in her seat, then spoke.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“What’s your name?”

“Naminé.”

* * *

 

It was good to have a friendly face in class so Sora was pleased to have found Namine. In the brief moments that they were able to chat she seemed very sweet. Most of the time he was paying attention to the slides at the front of the classroom, trying to note down as much as he could. His schoolwork was going to be just as difficult as he’d imagined it would, but at least he’d get to read a lot of stories. To him that was better than something like math or science.

“See you on Wednesday, Sora.” Naminé smiled as they parted ways after class, leaving Sora to wave after her.

* * *

 

The first week of the school year went by faster than a blink. In that time Sora checked out a few books for his class (with Zexion’s help) and let Riku set up a study schedule for him. He was a lot better at that sort of thing and Sora would probably need his guidance throughout the year.

At lunch he’d invited Naminé to sit with his group a couple of times and she brought her friend Xion along, adding to his list of new buddies. She was sweet and pretty too, with short jet black hair and an adorable laugh.

On the nights that Axel, Demyx and Riku had their shifts at Monstro’s, Roxas and Sora ate their dinner there to keep the three of them company – they also made use of the employee discount and had extra ice-cream. Sora thought the Riku’s purple work polo looked good on him.

Most of the guys in the group followed Leon’s lead and did their laundry on a Thursday night, so Sora got an awkward tutorial from him and Cloud after he’d decided to follow Axel down with his own small basket of clothes. When everything was spinning in the machines, Leon ruffled Sora’s hair and that was the moment he got attached to him.

There was one point in the week where Professor Xigbar told a hilarious joke in class that made Sora erupt into a fit of giggles. After that it became easier to look him in the eye.

* * *

 

It was the early evening on a Friday when Demyx alerted Axel that there was going to be a party nearby. At first, the redhead raised a sceptical brow because he didn’t want to end up somewhere scary in the middle of the night because his friend had no common sense, but the ash blonde managed to reassure him somewhat when he gave a proper explanation.

“No, no. It’s nothing weird and it’s not a frat party. Remember that girl from my class last year who I made friends with? The hot blonde one who’s kinda scary at the same time?”

“Larxene?”

“Yeah, that one. Her best friend Marluxia has this big house so they’re throwing a party tonight. She invited me so I’m inviting you…and everyone else.” The taller boy paused to think about it and eventually decided it couldn’t hurt. They could leave at any time and since it was just regular students who were throwing it there was a chance that it wouldn’t suck or be too dangerous. “Alright. I’ll spread the word.” He agreed, turning back to his reading after Demyx had given him a thumbs up and promptly sped off to find more guests.

Riku was filled in as soon as he and Sora got back from dinner in the cafeteria. He looked dubious about the whole thing as expected, but Sora looked terribly intrigued so that was Axel’s angle. He made it sound awesome and managed to hook the small brunette in pretty easily – leaving him and his big blue eyes to work the rest of the magic on Riku. If Sora was going, there was a big chance that Roxas would be too and he was Axel’s project for this year. He was a sucker for blondes. The silvery boy eventually caved under Sora’s pressure a half hour later but the fact that Leon and Cloud had notified him that they would be attending the party helped sway his decision considerably. Even Zexion had been dragged into it, so Axel knew there was no way Riku would escape the event.

Once everyone had gotten ready for the night the group of eight wandered off campus to get a bus into the fourth district. It wasn’t too far away at all which was reassuring. The buses ran way into the early morning anyway. When the large houses in the surrounding neighbourhoods came into view, Sora was amazed for probably the hundredth time that week. He’d been to parties before, but they were tiny island parties with everybody he knew squashed into a small home or sprawled out on the beach. Marluxia’s house was pretty spectacular, with a large gate and a pebble pathway. Inside, the walls were a pristine white and the floors were marble in a matching shade. There seemed to be a lot of expensive stuff to break so Sora’s elbows were jammed by his sides for fear of breaking an ornament or something. The music was loud and booming and there were people _everywhere_.

Leon grunted something about drinks so that was when the group started to split off from one another. The eldest two headed toward the kitchen and Demyx nudged himself through the crowd to get to a pretty blonde and a tall guy with rose pink locks. To Sora’s surprise, Zexion was waving at a dude who was built like a house and had copper hair. In the next minute or so he’d disappeared altogether which left the four roommates standing in the hall.

“Do you wanna dance Sora?” Roxas asked shortly after, jerking his head towards the large living room area where a big group of people were moving around to the music.

“Sure.” Sora grinned, following his lead and wedging himself into the crowd along with him. Roxas was actually pretty good at dancing which surprised Sora a little, since he was just jumping around to the beat in his own dorky way.

* * *

 

Axel folded his arms while he watched Sora and Roxas shuffle off to dance. With an inward chuckle he pulled Riku to the kitchen to get a couple of beers and smirked as he cracked one open and passed it over.

“Ditched in the first five minutes. Rough night.”

“It’s not so bad.”

“Huh. I thought you’d be jealous.”

“Of what?”

Axel pulled from his beer and raised a dark eyebrow, leaning back against the counter behind him. “You’re kidding, right?” Riku just shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You and Sora. What’s the deal with that?” Riku ignored him and chugged from his drink, only it didn’t do much to mask the tint on his cheeks. Though at the very least it debunked Axel’s robot suspicions.

After a while Axel got bored of hanging around in the kitchen so he dragged Riku back into the main room by the wrist, wanting to put some moves on Roxas anyway. If some of the sexual tension between Sora and Riku could be drained tonight then that would just be gravy. The redhead didn’t know who Riku was trying to fool. In just a week he’d noticed how the pair took it in turns to stare when one of them wasn’t paying attention. It was obvious in the way that Sora laughed at everything Riku said, and in the way the silvery boy was quick to do anything that would help Sora. It was classic pining at its grossest. For a smart guy, Riku was pretty dumb to be oblivious to the giant signals Sora was sending him. He was actually jealous of his friends because Sora was an open book while Roxas was a padlocked safe. Axel sure had his work cut out for him when it came to the blonde. At least Sora and Riku had almost eighteen years of friendship behind them.

It took a few minutes of shifting through the crowd to find Sora and Roxas because they were kind of little compared to most of the other party guests. The heights varied but it seemed like the pair had gotten themselves wedged between the tallest people they could find in the centre of the floor. When Axel located them he swiftly cut in to dance with Roxas, sending Sora an apologetic smile and gifting him with a new dance partner at the same time. The intrusion didn’t seem to bother the brunette much at all once he saw Riku, even if the boy was reluctant to dance at first. Axel knew by now that Riku needed some encouraging when it came to any activity that could cause embarrassment.

* * *

 

Sora was totally happy to change dance partners because spending time with Riku was something he’d never turn down. It had been a long time since they were at a party together, even if they didn’t do much dancing at the last one. Sora gave him a warm grin because the music was too loud to talk over, but Riku only gave him a half hearted smiled in return. It was tinted with something that Sora couldn’t quite place and when Riku turned slightly as if he was going to leave Sora grabbed him by his wrists to stop him. After a few seconds he pushed and pulled them – forcing Riku’s upper body to move like he was dancing. That managed to pull a laugh from Riku and the odd expression from before melted away as the two of them started to move to the beat for real. As with everything Riku was better at it, but Sora was having too much fun to get competitive.

A song that sounded pretty old school blasted out of the speakers and everybody stopped to cheer before instantly singing along – everyone except Sora and Riku. They blinked at each other and gave identical shrugs before laughing again. It wasn’t easy to forget that they were sheltered islanders at times like those. There had been a couple of moments during the week where Riku’s behaviour had unsettled Sora, but seeing him relax and have fun in a way that usually only happened when they were alone together was certainly reassuring.

The two were nudged closer together as the crowd became more excited and Sora was surprised that Riku actually let it happen. When he glanced behind him he saw that Axel and Roxas were having a good time too and he caught Axel’s eye briefly, receiving a thumbs up from him, but Sora misunderstood the meaning behind it. It was actually meant for himself and Riku.

The living room got hotter the longer they were in there and the four friends relocated to a large dining room area. That was when the real drinking started. Sora had drank alcohol before but not in crazy amounts, so after two or three beers things were beginning to get fuzzy and the sour taste was easier to ignore. Axel was telling some hilarious stories from his fist year at college, with Riku joining in to add things at certain intervals because he had been present for most of the events. Some of it made Sora jealous but he bit it down because he was a happy drunk. Plus, his subtle retaliation came in the form of him leaning his heavy head on Riku’s strong shoulder (again, Riku let him do it) while he told his _own_ stories from back home.

It was fun for a while though soon Sora’s inevitable need for the bathroom surfaced and he wobbled his way through the house and upstairs to find one. He wasn’t totally drunk, just buzzed and a little happy, maybe slightly out of it, but it still took him longer to figure out which room was the one he was looking for in Marluxia’s crazy house. He tried a door that had been left ajar and he gawked at the sight inside the room. The silhouettes of two people were laying horizontal on a plush bed and writhing rhythmically together in a way that suggested they were taking part in only one thing. Sora didn’t want to stand there like some sort of weirdo but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Mostly because of the alcohol in his system.

“Fuck… _fuck_ …”

The voice that reached Sora’s ears was deep and familiar and all at once it clicked into place who it belonged to along with the realization that _Leon and Cloud_ were _way_ more than just good pals. His curiosity vanished and he stumbled away from the door with a tomato red face, not needing to know anything else about them at that moment. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to get rid of the image, barely even noticing when some frustrated tears slipped down his face. He was _jealous_ of them and what they were doing and it made his train of thought spin out of control.

_'What if Riku had already had sex with someone? What if he rejects me? What if the thought of us being together is so disgusting to him that I'll end up dying a virgin?'_

Sora slapped the sides of his face and shook his head, trying to will the warmth that was pooling in the bottom of his gut to dissipate before someone saw and he acquired himself an unfortunate nickname. He managed it, but his worries didn't leave so easily. Whenever he thought things were progressing between he and Riku, the older boy would do something odd and set Sora's confidence back to square one. He was getting seriously confused and he wished he could just man up and ask Riku about it point blank like he did with everything else. It was driving him crazy. 

* * *

 

It wasn’t long after that when Riku appeared at the top of the stairs in search of Sora, anxious to find him because parties didn't always sit too well with him. When he found him sitting in the hallway with a miserable look on his face Riku dragged Sora back onto a bus to take him home – thinking that the upset and the red stains on his cheeks were purely caused by the drinks. Sora kept his discovery to himself.

* * *

 

The next day, the very first thing that Sora was aware of when he woke up was the warm, broad back he was pressed up against.


End file.
